Cable clamp



April 5, 1932. J. A TEAS 1,852,381

CABLE CLAMP Filed April 7. 1930 Vllll/ Inven for Patented Apr. 5, 1932 PATENT FFICE JOHN A. TEAS, OF DES MOINES, IOWA CABLE CLAM? Application 'filed April 7,

ranged conduit in such a manner that cables mounted in said conduitmay be held against downward movement.

A still further object is to provide a clamp for electric cables which are used in vertically arranged conduits, so constructed that the clamp may be attached to or detached from the cables ater they have been mounted in position within the said conduits.

These and other objects will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

My invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of the various parts of the device, whereby' the objects contemplated are attained, as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in my claims, and

illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in

which:

Figure l is an elevation of my improved cable clamp showing the manner in which cables are secured therein, said cables being shown in section.

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 2 2 of Figure l.

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 3 3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a plan view showing a modiied form of my device.

Figure 5 is a side elevation of the wedge member of my improved device.

- The numeral l0 indicates the upper end of a metallic conduit such as is generally used in connection with running electric wires through the partitions and etc. of buildings.

lThese tubes are` generally provided with screw threaded portions 11 at their upper ends. The conduits to which my device Vis particularly adapted are generally mounted vertically, and sometimes are of a considerable length, and arek designed to carry comparatively heavy cables.

1930. Serial No. 442,158.

In cases of this hind considerable difficulty has been experienced in holding the cables in position in the conduits to prevent the weight of the said cabies from injuring the insulation of the cables at points where the said cables are bent at the upper end of the conduits and are in horizontal positions.

rilo support a portion or all ci the weight o'f the cabies, l have provided the following I ich comprises a cap member l is screw threaded and designed to be mounted on the screw threaded portion il. This cap member is provided with an opening 13 substantially oi' the same diameter the inside of the conduit 10, and is provided with a rounded upper edge.

ln the drawings, have shown my preferable construction appiied to a cable having tlfee strands ot insulated wire, which are indicated by the numeral let. The clamp cemprises three wedge members 15 designed to lie adjacent to each other, and having 'heir faces arranged radially, as shown in the plan view, each of which is substantially one-third of a cylinder, the outside ot the said cylinder' being tormed somewhat tapered and its upper en 1 larger than its lower end, to form sort of a wedge designed to enter the opening 'i3 of the member l2.

rlhe inner side ci each of the members 15 provided with a central and longitudinal groove 16 which is oi a diameter equal to the diameter of the cable member which it is designed to receive. rihese blocks l5 are held in position relative to each other in a cylindrical torni by means of a spring ring member 17 mounted in a groove 18 in the periphery of' the cylindrical member, as clearly shown in Figures 2 and 3. The members i5 are held against longitudinal movement relative to each other by a lug 18a mounted on ene 'tace ci' one of the members l5 and entering a groove 19 in the adjacent 'tace et the adjoining member l5.

The inner faces of the groove 16 are provided with annular grooves 20 which are for the purpose oi forming grips to prevent the cables 'from slipping within the wedge members 15.

The practical operation of my cable clamp is as follows:

Assuming that the cables 14 have been strung through the conduit 10, and it is desired to clamp them in position, and that the member 12 is in position on the top end of said conduit, the operator grasps one of the members 15 and presses it against one of the cables 14 into the groove 16. He then grasps the other members 15 and likewise presses them in position with the lugs 18a in the grooves 19. The spring 17 is then placed in position over the lower end of the members 15, and moved upwardly until it enters the groove. 18. rlhis groove is ot' a depth slightly greater than the diameter of the spring member 17.

The members 15 may then be driven dmvnu'ardly or forced downwardly until they enter the opening 13 of the member 12. The top ends of the members 15 may be then tapped gently with a hammer until they have securely gripped the cables 14.

Thus it will be seen that any downward movement of the said cables will have a tendency to cause them to tighter and will support the weight ci the same upon the member 12.

Then it is desired to remove the cable, a slight upward movement of the said cables -will at once cause the members 15 to disengage the member 12 so that the clamps may be easily and quickly moved.

In Figure 4 I have shown a slightly modilied forni of the device which is adapted to be used for a cable having two strands of Wire, and comprises wedge members 2l similar to the members l5 with the exception that the inner .taces are provided with double grooves 22 instead ot a single groove.

It will also be seen that the device might be applied to a cable having more than three strands by making the conical member into a number ot blocks equal to the number of strands in the cable.

I claim as my invention:

1. A cable clamp comprising an annular cap member, a tapering cylindrical member for said annular member formed of a series of independent and longitudinal segments, each of said segment being provided with a longitudinal and central groove, one of the coacting faces of each segment being provided with a rib designed to coact with a groove in the adjacent tace of the adjoining segment, and yieldable tension means for binding all of said segments together when removed from said annular' member.

2. A cable clamp comprising an annular cap member, a tapering cylindrical member for said annular member formed of a series of longitudinal segments, each of said segments being provided with a longitudinal and central groove, one of the coacting faces of each segment being provided with a rib designed to coact with a groove in the adjacent face of the adjoining segment, and means for binding all of said segments together when removed from said annular member, said means comprising an annular groove 1n the said cylindrical member, and a yieldable member for said groove.

3. The combination of an electric conduit having a cable provided with a number of wires, an annular cap member for one end of said conduit, a tapering and cylindrical wedge member for said annular member formed ot a series of longitudinal segments, the number of which are equal to the number ot' wires in said cable, each of said segments being provided with a groove to reoelve one of said Wires, and means for preventin longitudinal movement of said segments re ative to each other.

il. The combination of an electric conduit having a cable provided with a number of wires, an annular cap member for one end of said conduit, a tapering and cylindrical wedge member for said annular member formed of a series ot longitudinal segments, the number ot which is equal to the number of Wires in said cable, each of said segments bein provided with a groove to receive one o said wires, and means for preventing longitudinal movement otl said segments relative to each other, and yielding means for holding said segments together when the cylindrical member is removed from the annular member.

5. The combination of an electric conduit Vhaving a cable provided with a number of wires, a tapering and cylindrical Wedge member for said conduit formed of a series of longitudinal segments, the number of which is equal to the number of wires in said cable, each of said segments being formed with a groove to receive one of said Wires, means for preventing longitudinal movement of said segments relative to each other` and yieldable means for holding said se ments together when the cylindrical mem er is removed from the conduit.

6. A cable clamp comprising a tapered cylindrical member formed ol a series of independent longitudinal segments, each of said segments being provided with a longitudinal and central groove, the outer surface of said segments being provided with annular grooves, and a circular yieldable tension member for said grooves whereby all of the segments will be yieldably bound together.

7. A cable clamp comprising a tapered cylindrical member formed of a series of independent longitudinal segments, each of said segments being provided with a longitudinal central groove, and yieldable means for bindinar all of said segments together.

Des Moines, Iowa, May 23, 1921.

JOHN A. TEAS. 

